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Stem cell therapy 'turns back clock'

MANILA, Philippines – Stem cell therapy, aside from being a potential cure for a wide range of illnesses, can also make a patient look and feel younger, a stem cell therapist said.

Dr. Ricardo Quiñones, a cosmetic surgeon and dermatologist, has trained to conduct stem cell therapy, which he describes as "the future of medicine."

Quiñones said stem cell therapy has become popular for its ability to regenerate and heal properties of adult stem cells.

"As we grow old, our stem cells dramatically decline. When we were children, we had 80 million stem cells. As we reach the age of 40, our stem cells decline to 35 million," he told "Mornings@ANC" on Friday.

Quiñones explained that the procedure is similar to "turning back the clock" because it can increase a person's stem cells to 100 million.

"I've done two patients from Zamboanga City. I called them up after the procedure and they told me they look younger. They have the stamina, the vigor and they have felt an increase in short-term memory, powers of attention and concentration," he said.

Quiñones also said the procedure has the potential to cure diabetes, heart damage, brain damage such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, osteoarthritis, stroke, baldness and even sports injuries.

3-hour procedure

Quiñones said any patient, except those diagnosed with cancer, can undergo the procedure, which he said will only last for about 3 to 4 hours.

After receiving clearance from a physician and passing medical and laboratory tests, anesthesia will be administered to a patient before stem cells are harvested.

Stem cells are then harvested from the patient's own body in a process similar to liposuction.

Quiñones said the effects of the therapy vary from case to case, with some feeling the effects within days, while others may have to wait months.

However, he noted that he has yet to encounter a case wherein the therapy had no benefit to a person's body.

"Everybody reported improvement," he said.

Quiñones, who has a clinic in Sta. Rosa, said stem cell therapy costs around P300,000 to P600,000.

"It's the future of medicine. Just keep yourself updated, there are a lot of studies on stem cell. But be sure the therapist is certified before undergoing the procedure," he said.